


Witching Hour

by orphan_account



Category: Stray Kids
Genre: Angst, Comfort and hurt, Cute, Fantasy, HYUNSUNG, I Love You, Love, M/M, Nightmares, OT9 - Freeform, Rated teen for swearing, The warning is scarier than the description, WitchAU, Witches, bang chan - Freeform, changlix, coming with a new work, cuz I’m bored, cuz the chaps are longer than what I used to write, hahaha, in all honesty, okay, plot oriented, semi slow update, slight angst, slightly dark, still planning, woojin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:42:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22431292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: 9 peculiar boys even in sorcerers’ eyes. Fostering great potential, they are appointed with a great task.Pls read, xoxoCheers!
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Hwang Hyunjin, Lee Felix/Seo Changbin
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

Hyunjin plucks an aster and puts it behind his ear. His dog, Kkami, is running into the cotton field. A cold winter in May that frosts the budding wheat. Hyunjin dives in the nose-deep grass field and runs his hand through the cold cotton. Yellow cottons that wither at the touch of twilight. The sun is almost up, the village is still in a haze. Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, the cold wind batters his clothes. Kkami barks, once, twice. Workers often fall in this harsh weather. They are trying to rescue whoever little crops. Luckily, the last harvest was overflowing, maybe they can go through a year without starving. His parents have prepared packs of herbs. Hyunjin misses summer. A cold May ruins the fun. He wants to go hiking, and plucking exotic flowers or collect them into a bouquet or put them in his hair. His neighbours love this flower boy, calling him a prince, a stunning prince. When everybody is asleep, the earth in a slumber, the stars twinkling, Hyunjin feels the sun speaking to him. It is a comfortable murmur, it doesn’t mean anything. The sun rises from the fluffy pillow and yawns, cradling Hyunjin and whispers sweet nothings. 

Yesterday a mother came weeping, begging their family to help her husband. Stepping into the dark house, the said husband laid motionless. His whole body was buried under thick blanket, his eyes were glued to his youngest daughter. Through the heavy eye lids, he tried to stay awake, not giving in to sleep. 

‘What happened?’ His mother, Mary, held the shaking mother’s hand.

‘He came back after collecting cotton. And...’ She gasped for air before continuing. ‘He started to cough and he was hot, like he was lit on fire. He coughed blood...’ The mother almost fainted, ‘Please help me. Help him. Help us! O dear God, don’t abandon us. Stay with us.’

Hyunjin slipped past his parents despite the mother’s weak protests. He wrapped his hand around the man’s coarse one. Tears streamed down the man’s cheek, Hyunjin knew all too well. A little girl sat on the ground next to Hyunjin, in front of her father, playing with her stuffed teddy bear. Hyunjin patted her, which the girl returned with a dimply smile, she opened her palm for a high five. Hyunjin giggled as the small girl held onto his index finger. ‘Will papa be okay?’ She asked, with her innocent dole eyes looking up. ‘Mama says that papa is a good man and angels adore him. Is papa still sleeping?’

‘He is, sleeping sound and fine,’ Hyunjin lied. 

‘He forgot to read me bedtime stories yesterday! Can you wake him up to finish it?’

‘I will.’

‘You promise?’

‘I promise!’

Hyunjin turned to the frail man, ‘You will be fine.’

The father’s gaze shifted anxiously from his wife to his daughter who was still playing with the bear’s ears. He tried to move his lips, open them and close them again, like a fish out of water, yet no words come out. He closed his eyes, silent tears that rolled down the hill. 

‘Trust me,’ Hyunjin squeezed the man’s hand. ‘Listen. You will be fine. Just once, relax.’

The sunlight lighted Hyunjin up and truly Hyunjin saw. Ash-white face, with streaks of blood around his mouth, and blood shot eyes that tried to search into Hyunjin’s own eyes, now blankly shut. His parents were chanting prayers to calm the mother down. The air was chilling and smelt like rotten breath and sickness. Hyunjin closed his eyes, feeling sunlight warmed his inside, feeling the sunlight streamed out of his fingertips. Feeling the girl tightened her hold. The man looked at Hyunjin with awe, as sunlight dusted around his head like a halo. ‘Try hard enough and he will be healed,’ Hyunjin told himself. When his eyes open again, the man’s face was once again rosy. 

‘Thank you,’ whispered the man as he sat up. His wife rushed to the bedside, kneeling down. He touched his wife’s tear-soaked face, wiping the tear away. Like an infant, he cupped his wife’s face. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yes?’

Then they hugged each other and cried. The girl was sitting on the bed, giving both of them kisses. His parents sighed, leaning against the door frame. Hyunjin never learns. Deciding their duty was over here, the small family left the house. Snapping out of his thoughts, the sun laughs. Hyunjin stops dead in his track. In front of him lays a grotesque old man. Hyunjin scrunches up his nose at the reek. Hyunjin flips him over to check for major wounds. A cut in the stomach and a few scratches on the forehead, the blood is still fresh. It’s going to be a long day, Hyunjin sighs softly to himself. He presses into the flesh. The man jots awake, slamming his hands away. Red eyes that scream murder, a crowd of crows flutter around him. 

‘I am sorry,’ Hyunjin scrambles to his feet, Kkami close at his heel. 

‘Thank you,’ the man groans. ‘May your blood never spill.’

Then the man disappears like he’s never appeared.‘Plague that hides in your hair, a plague that steals your beloved son and turns your beauty to dust. Witching hour catches your cat under the bloody sky,’ a rumour that hangs on the lips of travellers. Hyunjin shudders at the vehement wind and the menacing words that echo in his mind. Magic, they fear like they fear the uninhibited mountain side, they fear the unknown promises magic holds, Hyunjin too. They say that magic corrupts, they poison, they turn gold into dust, they would even kill, to feel the power their spells grant them. In this faraway village, no one has experienced magic though. It remains an urban tale, jumping from one mouth to another, the tales are either twisted or simplified when it reaches Hyunjin. Maybe it is too early to judge, let’s wait a little longer. On his chest, he remembers the witch who sold her soul for the power of resurrection. Yet, she never practiced the spells. She spent her life slaughtering towns that rejected her. She only spared the lives of cat, who feasted on the children’s corpses. 

When he comes back home, his parents are already up. ‘Here Jinnie, your favourite strawberry jam and bread.’ His mother wipes her hands on her apron and gives Hyunjin a big smile. ‘Jinnie,’ his father ruffles his hair with a fond longing, ‘as tall as me, aye?’ Someone knocks on their door. 

‘Who wakes up at such an ungodly hour,’ his father, Dale, pats his stomach and laughs. 

‘Oh hi, Iris,’ His mother greets her friend at the doorstep. ‘Haven’t seen you for ages since the last voyage. Why did you not tell me beforehand? We could’ve cooked something for you.’

‘I wasn’t planning on dropping by. But there were some last minute changes,’ Iris says as she takes off her coat. ‘How’s everything?’

‘So far so good!’

‘Oh really? Didn’t get the same response from your neighbours though.’

‘They are paranoid. Blah blah blah,’ his father rolls his eyes for comic effect. Only Hyunjin laughs, but he is silenced by the cold stare from across the table. Mary and Iris then chatter on about going-ons, peculiar they heard from stranger’s lilts. Hyunjin learnt that they were childrenhood best friends, raised in the same neighbourhood. Though his mother never talks about Iris. They even travelled half a sea together. Mary jokes about losing her youthful vigor and is only a skeleton that listens to the crowd all too well. Iris jokes about the weird habits she got from different places, like some lullabies that put a tiger to sleep. Iris cuts a slice of bread and spreads some jam on it. As she puts the knife down, her finger graces the sharp edge. A silver of blood drips onto the bread. The sun glares into Hyunjin’s eyes, when he opens them again, everybody is looking at him. Iris tentatively holds Hyunjin’s hands, the blood gone, only a white mark remains. Coldness seeps into Hyunjin, ‘Such a boy.’

‘Iris, leave him alone,’ his father walks to his side, swatting Iris’ hand away. 

‘Iris, is there something you want to tell us? Tell us directly, don’t scare our boy like that.’

‘Oh yes, there is,’ Iris sits back down on the stool. ‘Hyunjin, look.’

Hyunjin forces himself to look, ‘Yes?’

‘Do you want to be a wizard? Like us? I will be blunt with you, you do have a great potential.’

His mother stands up and laughs, ‘Are you pulling a sick joke on your poor Mary again? It has been fifteen years. Cut it.’

Iris’ eyes glisten with sorrow, with a thin smile, ‘I know you wouldn’t agree. I guess it is time to leave.’ A black cat runs in and meows at Kkami. 

‘Goodbye and thank you,’ Iris departs along with the cat. Hyunjin sneezes. This is going to be a hard year, Hyunjin’s inside bubbles. When the two silhouettes merge into the horizon, his mother speaks. 

‘Hwang Hyunjin,’ Mary says as she slices the bread. ‘For whatever reasons, we realised you can heal without exterior aids. It is impressive and well. However, under such circumstances, can you reign it in? I know you are elastic to heal a poor man. And you can’t wait to show off to others. Or you are simply too warm hearted, you want to help whoever is in pain or even in slight discomfort. Iris, if you don’t already know, is a witch. She is not someone you show your peculiarity to. And the village nowadays are sceptical of witches and all. Before the storm strikes, let’s not draw too much attention to ourselves?’

Noticing her son’s downcast gaze and her husband grunting some unintelligent words, she hurriedly adds, ‘you know I am not good with words. I don’t really understand your talent? Shall I put it in this way?’ Searching her husband’s face, she knew she selected the right word, ‘talent it is. I don’t really understand how it works, so I may have said something too harsh? Or false accusations. But you understand what I mean right?’ The last sentence spoken in a haste. ‘I don’t want any one of us get hurt. You understand mommy right?’

‘Yes I do. I promise I will be more careful.’

A bird flutters off their window, ‘now everything is settled. Let’s prepare our herb bags.’

Shadows lurk who take form in grey eyes and yellow teeth. She titters away, waiting for the moment to destroy the family. The villagers avoid her like the flies as she patrols the street. She calls herself Sazeda, somewhere in the past. She used to have perfect family, like those in children storybook’s. The village was beautiful until witches decided to infest like diseases and pretended to be their neighbours. Her husband hated witches with a keen anger. They could tolerate each other just fine, at the beginning. A year with rich harvest meant another with drought. And people were fighting for water. The wizards with long beards explored into the wild for origins of water and built long tubes to supply each household with fresh water. On the streets sang their neighbour, praises to the witches and wizards, who were later called the magical beings. To be honest, Sazada was grateful for the fresh water. So she brewed some wine and gave a pint to their neighbour ‘magic’. One day, a grey owl broke into their house to pick up a rat and flew away, shattering plates in the process. Her husband was fuming at the ‘spilled’ wine and the remains of their cherished dishes. ‘If you have wine, why pour it to the dogs? Look what they brought you? Misfortunes and stupid cracks that prick your feet.’ They fought and broke several vases. When the owner of the owl came to apologise, she was targeted with pure anger, ugly curses were casted. And he died hours later. The grief when she buried her husband alone ate her up. Day by day, she tore pieces of sanity out until she was nothing but hate. When she passes by the Hwang’s window, she stays to overhear their conversation. 

‘A wicked family,’ She gasps as she continues her journey to the graveyard. ‘That must be destroyed!’

A young postman gives Sazada a letter and runs off hurriedly. As he delivers the letters from outside world to their cozy village, he catches on right-out-of-the-oven rumours so he sings them in the street and rallies them on, ‘Burn the magic, burn them clothes. Hear their shrieks paint the sky. Only then you shall see. Their True soul, char black and cold. How they heal you ages old, only to haunt you in their hold. Wake them babies up and see, a witch burns in feral heat!’ For then on, the two rumours are combined into a song. When a worker twists his ankle later in the afternoon, he visits the Hwangs. And they give him some herb tea to sooth the inflammation. Sazada charges forward like a wild beast, ‘Don’t trust them! You will die from drinking this!’ Her sharp claws tears the bag into pieces. 

‘Sazada! This is enough,’ the worker roars. ‘You can act all you want. It is not like you can heal my ankle, why must you stop others?’

‘Feed it to a dog and it shall die!’

Hyunjin peers out from the kitchen, holding Kkami close. 

‘Then feed it to a dog! See who dies!’ The worker fumes.

Sazada collects the fallen leaves and sprinkles it together with bread onto the doorstep. On cue, a pigeon flies down and eats the bread. And flies away. 

‘I will bring the poor pigeon’s body here tomorrow,’ Sazada grits her teeth. The worker shakes his head as he leaves. Sazada long gone like the wind. From that day on, pigeon bodies start to appear on their doorstep, along with Sazada’s howls. Dale is seeing red as he lifts Sazada by the collar. ‘Cut it off, Sazada. Putting animal carcasses everywhere will only make people sick. Stop it!’ With an animalistic roar, Dale flings her into her hole, that she calls home. 

A week passes as more rumour streams in. Songs that fly from ear to ear, taking new form as one sings in the night. Their family trying to help as much as possible, from small coughing to broken bones, not everyone healed. Hyunjin knows, for some, only time can heal, for some, it leaves to heaven to decide their fate, there is nothing they can do except watching the light takes his last breath. Hyunjin is attempted to feel the sun on his back and heal some, but the cold hands from his father always stop him. The full moon festival is approaching and the village is merry. They put their whole heart into the celebration, the ugly rumours are replaced with holy hymns. Of course, it means accidents increase and their house is constantly packed with bruises. Hyunjin wants to see the preparation but the patients need his help. He hears the whistling of the wind and chorals of joy from the distant field. He asks the patient for the progress, which they describe with great details. Flower arcade, cotton candies, meat pies and moon decorations that light up in dark in fluorescent green. When Hyunjin was young, the festival was one with otherworldly wonders, people performed magic; breathing fires, women who dressed up like flowers and dance with the band of men behind them. Sometimes, travellers will bring dolls with intricate shirts. Hyunjin still treasures the squirrel plushy that their parents brought him six years ago. Hyunjin tells the squirrel everything on his mind; sometimes, Hyunjin will sing to it; sometimes, Hyunjin will hug it close to his chest and cries his worries away; all the time, he hugs it to sleep. When the moon, moving ever so painfully slowly, finally shows up in a dics, the village is popping fireworks everywhere. The colour burst in the sky, showering down like shooting stars. Red, blue, white, his face lights up with the glow emitted from the fireworks. His ears are booming with the explosion in the sky. The smoke is filling the sky and covering the moon like the clouds. The wind smells like sulphur. And Hyunjin sneezes. Green, orange, yellow, they cheer. White, white, white, a girl screams. Jumping to his feet, he tries to locate the scream in midst of yells and shouts. He charges through the chaos. He sees a ball of fire. He sees a girl burning up alive. She is catching fire, twirling with flame licking the dust. People are bringing water buckets to put out the fire. One bucket and a second and a third. The flowy dress sticks to her skin, black and rigid. 

‘How evil can this year be?’ The old man next to Hyunjin sighs. Children are crying while the fire goes out into tiny sparkles. The flesh is eaten away, raw and red, liquid oozes out of her pores with every beat of her heart. Hyunjin extends his hand only to retreat as if being burnt. ‘Should I?’ He debates. ‘Is it worth it?’ The girl screams as others try to touch her. Her eyes frantically search for the sky. Her breath getting shallower each minute as her family tries to charge forward. ‘My dear Daisy! Wait for us! Be strong! We are coming for you!’ Her father shouts from the other side. Hyunjin breaks through the crowd and kneels in front of her. His hand coming in contact with the sticky gooey flesh. Is this a human body? Hyunjin closes his eyes as his hands tremble as the girl screams. He can see white filling his vision and he feels warm. The girl eventually stops screaming. Hyunjin’s warmth is transferred to the girl and he shivers at the nightly wind. When the girl lapses into a comfortable hum. Hyunjin is shaking like a leaf, trying to regain balance, Hyunjin opens his eyes. The girl’s body shining with milky white lights as she giggles, trying to cover herself up. He smiles and collapses on cue. 

The next day he wakes to the whole village by his bed. Curious eyes that do not bat. ‘Are you okay?’ Mary asks, putting a fresh towel onto his forehead, which is taken off seconds later. ‘It is soaking my plushy,’ Hyunjin pouts, pinching the squirrel. Sazada pokes her head in from the window, ‘this bastard! Burn him! He is healing in the name of evil. Burn him before you regret it! Did you see how he turned night into day? Did you see how disgusting he is! Look his hands are still sticky with blood!’ 

The crowd by his bed whispers among themselves, while Mary sinks into the chair next to him. Hyunjin makes out a few words, ‘burning, before the plague. Burns. Evil. What if?’ There are oppositions but never make it out alive. The crowd eventually dissipates and Hyunjin learns his fate. He is going to die at the noon. Yet, he doesn’t understand. What is happening? His mother can’t give him an answer. He asks his father who came back. He was out to gather Hyunjin’s favourite fruit, raspberries. No answer. 

‘Am I wrong?’ Hyunjin chokes out. 

‘No,’ his father says. ‘Wrong timing, that is the only wrong you did.’

‘When will be the right timing?’

Nobody argues back. 

‘Father, what happens to your knuckles,’ Hyunjin wraps his hands lightly around the graze.

‘Nothing happens.’

Within a blink of an eye, the wounds are healed in the flashing light, and his father breaks down into tears.

‘I am sorry Hyunjin, I am truly sorry. I tried. It is all my fault,’ they huddle together, crying their hearts out. ‘They wouldn’t accept the fact that you are normal. They say...’

‘I am a devil?”

“They say you deserve to go to hell,’ his father is still crying. Hyunjin hasn’t seen him cry before. Never, his father is a strong man, the man who kills a cow with his bare hands. Now, crying in his son’s hold, his father says sorry. 

‘Even when I saved her,’ Hyunjin sighs.

‘Even when you saved her,’ his mother bites her lip. ‘We should’ve let Iris take you. You are not for the normal society. I should’ve known they wouldn’t accept you whatever you do.’

‘Our deadly ignorance that sacrifice your youth, oh good heaven. Help me,’ 

They spend the last few hours with a hearty lunch, all the food that Hyunjin loves. Some families sneak in some cheese, a cake, even a basket of fruits. No sighing off, they just drift by their doorstep and Hyunjin enjoys all of them. His hands are red with raspberry juices. He cuddles with Kkami who doesn’t feel the impending doom, still licking away Hyunjin’s tears. He plays with Kkami in the cotton field. Time ticks by and Hyunjin breaks down in the heart of the cotton field several times. Hyunjin picks up a scythe, grimacing when the blade cuts his hand open. Tears and blood mingle down into the soil. 

The midday sun shines down on the altar. When Hyunjin stares at the faces. He takes a deep breath, feeling his heart beating out of his chest. Feeling sweat wetting his clothes. The sky is blue. What a beautiful day. Their lips seal tight, no one dares to utter a word, sorry in their red eyes. The wind rustles by. He in all black outfits, faced by the piercing stares of pure hatred. Like the mild lamb he has been, he doesn’t say anything when they tie him to the pole, he doesn’t resist when they pour oil onto him while the crowds break into prayers. A small girl wiggles out of her parents’ hold, ‘Where are you going, my brother?’ 

Hyunjin stares at the soft glow around her face, ‘I am going nowhere. Where are you going?’

‘Liar! They say you are going to heaven! Will you see my grannies? She has wrinkled face and a warm warm smile! Won’t you stay with us, though?’

‘Go home, little one, don’t take to a devil,’ a sturdy man pushes her away. The little girl finally seems to piece everything together. She doesn’t say anything, big eyes looking at the adults around him, each in a sombre air. The crowd has long ceased to chant, swallowing any sounds. 

‘Have my teddy bear, then, take him with you,’ she is brought away in the strong embrace of her father. 

The family exits before the fire is started. Hyunjin blames himself for disobeying the wise words from his family, his mother is slipping out of consciousness and his father tries to avert his gaze, in their hands hold the squirrel. ‘Why does it have to be me?’ Hyunjin asks into the sun. The sun hides her face into the clouds, filtering the world into grey dusts. ‘Don’t you dare to turn away now,’ Hyunjin’s eyes burn. The clouds part and the sun shines on everyone in the soft glow. 

When the bell is struck, they drops the torch. The fire spreads and blazes up. Fear seizes Hyunjin, who cries in agony, ‘I don’t want to die yet. Why?’ It is hot, Hyunjin wants to escape, there is no way. His flesh digs into the rope. The red hot pain shoots up to his face, exploding right in front of his eyes. Remembering bitterly, Hyunjin spits, ‘I should’ve killed myself.’ Somewhere in the crowd, they cheer and clap as the smell of burnt flesh fill the air. Somewhere, someone gags and faints. Somewhere, they cry, somewhere they smile. Their faces distorted in the licking flames, red faces and red cotton field. 

‘Burn the wicked!’ With a drum they drum on.

The pain, futile tears stream down his cheeks, it hurts so bad that Hyunjin sees stars. He screams, into the sky, into the sun. When is this over? Hyunjin prays fervently. Even heavens would not answer him. Hyunjin bangs his head against the pole, ‘Let me just faint. Please.’ Blood tickles down his face. A sheen of white envelops him as he does faint


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI, lovelies, welcome back! Enjoy!

When he wakes up again, the pain is long gone, his skin tender like a new born baby. 

‘You’re up!’ A cherry voice rings. ‘Folks, he is up! Jeongin, stop reading the comics in the dim light!’

Hyunjin closes his eyes painfully, why is he still here? He doesn’t want to face his parents, nor the villagers, especially not Sazada. Let him die. Something light brushes along his face, ‘How? Are you still in pain? The spell should’ve worked, the sun is big today.’ Hyunjin rolls over to escape whatever reminders of reality, being painfully conscious to his surroundings. 

‘Let us leave, give him some room to breathe,’ thick accented, authoritative, yet so sleepy the words are slurred. 

‘What if he...?’ The voice pauses. ‘Hey, young bud, if you need any help, tell the stone.’

Something cold settles on his neck, he hears the door softly closes. Hyunjin falls right back into sleep. When he wakes up again, he smells beef stew. ‘Maybe it is time to wake up,’ a honey voice speaks. ‘You are safe now. Well, temporarily. If no one..’ A glass shatters, Hyunjin shudders. ‘Jeongin-ah, what did you do this time?’ The honey voice leaves.

‘Hey!’ The cherry voice comes back. ‘You sleepyhead. Slept for a total sixteen hours. You beat my record. Don’t you want to drink some water?’

Hyunjin reluctantly opens his eyes, the surroundings are surprisingly dim. 

‘Jisung! Why did you blow off the candles? And now I broke the plate all thanks to you and Woojin is lecturing me.’

‘Shush, Jeongin. This young bud just wakes up.’

‘So?’

‘I haven’t finished! Try to have a candle glaring at your face next time you wake up.’

The candles do relight, ‘he is a solar! Light doesn’t harm him. Unlike you!’

Jisung rolls his eyes and gives Hyunjin a glass of water. 

‘What’s your name?’

‘Hyunjin. Hwang Hyunjin. And you?’

‘Han Jisung,’ Jisung points to a shadow, ‘that is Chris, or Chan.’ To a mop of brown hair, ‘that is Woojin.’ To a small figure on a chair, ‘and that is Jeongin.’ ‘Seungmin and Minho are out collecting herbs. Changbin and Felix are doing God knows what. They are seldom home.’

‘I don’t think I can remember their names.’

‘It’s okay. Just remember mine,’ Jisung smiles cheekily. 

Hyunjin’s ginger fingers try to untie the knot around his neck, Jisung stops him, ‘this is yours now! It will tell us if you are in trouble!’ 

‘How?’

Jisung digs up a jewel under his shirt, ‘All of us have one, look.’ He puts his hand near the candle flame, the ruby burns red hot, so does Chan’s topaz that is hid under a thin cotton shirt. Chan looks like a phantom, with a yellow heart, Hyunjin shakes off the image. ‘Try it!’ Jisung holds Hyunjin’s hand near the flame, the sapphire glows cold blue, illuminating Jisung’s blue hair even bluer, Chan’s topaz never goes off. ‘We use this to signal distress or danger.’ Hyunjin nods, his mind travelling to Kkami and his squirrel and his home. 

‘Why is Iris still not here?’ The shadow shifts and comes into light. Golden haired Chris grunts, ‘she tells us that she will arrive in a candle.’

‘What?’ Four people ask in union.

‘Hyung, go back to sleep,’ Jeongin calls out. ‘Your sleep derived state is endangering us.’

‘I meant that she will come in an hour, but five hours have passed,’ Chris carries on like no one has interrupted him. 

‘Why does she have to come?’ Jeongin pouts as he lights the candles back up. ‘I don’t want to see her.’

‘As if your baby face can give him useful advice, let along teach him magical stuff,’ Chan retorts. 

‘Excuse you?’ Jeongin gasps and flings a spell to Chan, who dodges it with ease. 

‘Jeongin-ah, stop using the same spell every time you want to attack someone,’ Woojin laughs. This little cave is cozy, on the shelf lines bottles, the muddy walls remains unpolished, the floor is cover with a thick carpet, probably animals’ skin. Candles cast red and yellow onto everything. Jisung is simply sitting, fiddling with a book. Books are everywhere, lining tidily on the dining table, stacked up on the chairs, littered on the floor, some even on the ceiling, twirling around. 

Woojin suddenly says, ‘I just remembered! Hyunjin, do you want to read a book on history of wizards and witches?’

‘Hyung, really?’ Jeongin winces. 

Hyunjin doesn’t response, instead asking, ‘Are my parents alright?’

The sleepiness in Chan clears, Jeongin sinks into the shadows, Woojin sighs softly. At last, Chan says, ‘They should be fine, Felix should’ve accompanied them to their destination.’

‘Is it so?’

‘Sorry?’

‘Are you telling me the truth?’ Hyunjin accuses.

‘Yes, he is,’ Woojin says. 

‘Then, why does none of you look at me?’ Hyunjin searches in the void. 

‘Do you want to sleep?’ Jeongin pipes up, his words lace with annoyance, nobody knows who this question is directed to. 

‘Chan is telling the truth,’ Jisung speaks, his eyes turning aqua blue. ‘Look.’

Hyunjin wipes his tears away and leans into Jisung’s eyes. He sees a freckled boy holding his parents’ hands, through the clouds, onto a green meadow. And Jisung’s eyes are earthy brown again. 

‘I’m sorry, Felix didn’t provide much information,’ Jisung smiles. Hyunjin mutters a small thank you, ‘Will Felix come soon?’

‘I believe so,’ Woojin knows. ‘You want to go back to your parents, don’t you?’

‘I do,’ Hyunjin confesses in a small voice. 

‘Iris will come and sort this out.’

‘What do you mean by sorting this out?’

‘She will discuss the bigger picture with you?’

‘And cajoling me to stay,’ Hyunjin’s tone turns icy cold. ‘Just let me go.’

‘Calm down,’ The tension remains heightened so Jisung excuses himself out, Jeongin keeps his company. 

‘This is your decision,’ Chan admits. 

‘Do you want to walk around?’ Woojin suggests. ‘The boys are out playing. Might as well walk around and loosen up. Whether you stay or not, the boys will definitely be happy to have new friends.’

‘Hyung! Changlix is back!’ Jeongin crashes back into the cave, banging his head on the lamp. 

‘Hyunjin! Felix is here! Don’t kill him,’ Jisung pokes his head in and drags a complaining Jeongin away. 

‘Um, did someone call me?’ Felix, with soft features, and a surprisingly deep voice says. 

‘Where are my parents?’ Hyunjin asks on the spot. 

‘Oh! I teleported them away! To the Sakura Village!’ Felix searches his pocket and hands Hyunjin a letter.

‘Why don’t you come back earlier?’ Chan collapses into a chair. ‘He almost killed all of us. Let me get Jisung and Jeongin back, the cold is going to freeze them.’

Hyunjin touches the gem subconsciously, before he even understands why does he do that, Jisung and Jeongin returns, with snowflakes in their hair and with pink ears they ask, ‘is everything settled?’

‘Almost,’ somewhere in the back, Woojin says. 

Hyunjin opens the letter as the boys reunite and chat. 

“Dear our dearest son,

Leave us behind, follow the magic. Normal life doesn’t suit you, it almost kills you. If not for the frantic boys who dropped from the sky, we would be holding your ashes. We know it is hard. Still, knowing you are alive and well on the other side of the sea comforts us. We miss you too. Toughen up, you have been soft hearted and kind, learn from the lesson. For the best of both worlds, it is time for us to let go. You can trust Iris. She had grown old with you before the village practically chased them out. We love you, you will forever be our flower son. Don’t come back to visit us unless you have accustomed to the new life. We have faith in you. Mama and papa love you. Goodbye. 

Love,  
Mama & Papa”

Hyunjin hides in the blanket, his hands move over the grooves on the paper. The paper smells like oak trees. It is yellowed with dried wrinkly spots where the ink is smeared. When he resurfaces, there are two books by his side. Namely, introductory leaflet to sorcerer, brief history of magic and precaution of practices of spells. The introductory leaflet looks relatively new, purple with streaks of gold on the cover. Two people burst through the door, heaving heavily as they dumps baskets and baskets of herbs down. 

‘Seungmin!’ Jeongin calls out, running to hug him.

‘Hey, Min,’ Jisung greets. Hyunjin thought Minho looks like a porcelain doll, which travellers put behind the glass box for children. 

‘Do you have bandages?’ Seungmin asks Chan. 

‘Yes, did you cut yourself again?’ 

‘As usual. The cold wind splits my flesh open after chopping down some damn hardwood.’ 

‘That looks pretty bad,’ Jeongin comments, turning his hand to better lighting. 

‘Guess what, a bear smells the blood and tries to eat him.’

‘A bear?’ Woojin opens a small door. 

‘Yes, bear,’ Minho shuts Woojin up. 

Seungmin’s glove is torn, when he takes it off, the flesh is already purple with clots dangling. With bits of flesh that look like the frayed seams in the old textbooks, the wound is deep, the white bones sticking out. 

‘See if this potion works,’ Chan attempts to pour drops onto the wound. Seungmin hisses, almost knocking Chan over. 

‘What are you doing?’ 

‘Well, this potion usually works. Oh shoot, sorry, I took the wrong one, no biggie.’

‘No biggie? My wound is seething thanks to you.’ 

Hyunjin walks over like a cat to examine the wound, he asks, ‘Is the sun still up?’

‘My hand is bleeding and you ask if the sun is up,’ Seungmin curses only to stop as he spots the new face. ‘Oh sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you like that. The sun has sunk. What is your name?’

Hyunjin doesn’t answer as he brings a cup of water and a small bowl. He washes the gore and fabric off, the water bloody and murky like the night. Hyunjin prays to the sun as he closes his eyes and feels the warmth spread around Seungmin. Hyunjin’s vision dances like hundreds of white angels flitting. Before the healing is complete, Hyunjin almost faints, the energy in his system barely keeping up. The room is spinning and only a faint pink line remains on Seungmin’s hand. 

‘Wow, wow, easy there,’ Changbin steadies him. Jisung brings three bowl of beef stew over. Seungmin accepts the bowl and waves his hand, exclaiming, ‘Why do I not know you before? Could’ve saved so much troubles.’ 

Hyunjin instead stares at the beef, resisting the urge to puke. He shakes his head as he sits down. 

‘I don’t want to eat.’

‘But you have to,’ Chan insists, worry swims in his gaze. 

‘Hyung,’ Jisung stops Chan. Jisung walks to the kitchen and brews a pot of jasmine tea. He hands a cup to Hyunjin, who breaths in the soothing scent and remembers home. ‘Thank you.’ Learning against Jisung as he sips the tea, tears pricking his sensitive eyes. Woojin jogs out as Minho prepares dinner, announcing the creation of a new potion, ‘it makes the consumer acts purely on impulse. No anecdotes have been discovered yet. The duration lasts half an hour.’ 

‘If Seungmin drinks it, we can’t even survive for five minutes,’ Jeongin chills by the fireside.

‘Damn, you’re right,’ Seungmin laughs. ‘Hyung, can I try the potion? I promise I won’t kill you.’

‘Guess who is going to cry like a baby knowing we are dead,’ Jisung laughs. 

‘How damn wrong you are,’ Seungmin deflates in his bean bag. 

‘Dinner’s ready! I cooked some vegetables for you, Jinnie.’

Chan carries the bowls out to the hungry boys. Hyunjin eats, bits by bits, while his companions devour the food, almost eating the bowl too. When night falls, Felix shows Hyunjin the hidden rooms, turns out each room requires a secret code to open, eight rooms, one study room which is actually a small library, two experiment rooms, a kitchen and two toilets. 

‘I am afraid that you will have to sleep in the living room, Minho will prepare a room for you... Is it tomorrow?’ Felix receives a confirmation. ‘Have a nice rest! And don’t miss us too much, we are right next door.’

‘Thank you.’ 

After rolling on the bed, waiting for sleep to come, Hyunjin lights few candles up, sighs in relief when the small space floods with yellow. He picks the leaflet up, the headlines running in fancy cursive. The small bracket behind each header is written in grey ink, the colours faded, his name is freshly added though. 

“Types of Sorcerer

Although sorcerers’ magic comes largely from the practice of spells and potions, their magic sources can be categorised in five major types.

Solars (Woojin, Hyunjin)  
Inspiration: Sun or Light  
Precaution: Channeling directly from the sun, which know for a bright white flash, brings exhaustion  
Peculiarity: Development of magical manipulation marks the skin in translucent patterns, which resemble crystal

Aquas (Jisung, Changbin)  
Inspiration: Ocean and Water  
Precaution: Manipulation of large body of water causes severe disorientation  
Peculiarity: Their eyes change colours during magical manipulation

Travellers (Felix, Seungmin)  
Inspiration: Cosmic  
Precaution: Continuous sleep deprivation severs connection with their inspiration  
Peculiarity: They grant wishes unconsciously

Sparks (Jeongin, Minho)  
Inspiration: Lightning and Metal  
Precaution: Emotional outbursts induce direct channeling  
Peculiarity: Their touches bring slight numbness

Balances (Chan)  
Inspiration: Stability and Mindfulness  
Precaution: Direct channeling is not available  
Peculiarity: Disturbance of internal equilibrium is detrimental to their health

Realms of Magic describes the actions of magic brought either by spells or potions, there are three major areas and innumerable sub-areas. Healing of wounds or recovery of damaged parts; manipulation of state of matter or manipulation of mind and emotion; prophecy (which is limited to Balances). They apply to both life and lifeless creations. 

The pass to magical world is in your hands, the gates wide open, feel free to explore!

—Organisation of Sorcerers and Magic”

Hyunjin closes the leaflet, his mind soggy like soaked cottons, his mouth dry like cracked ground. His hand slips under the pillow, searching for the familiar fluff. His hand collides with the wooden plank and realisation hits him. Squirrel isn’t here with him. He walks on tip toe and opens the door which creaks. Northern wind wakes him up from this cozy unfamiliarity. He steps foot outside, nobody is awake. The dark night is holding its breath, so quiet. He explores the wide forest, expanding endlessly into who knows where. Snow crunches beneath his feet, soaking his shoes. Dews frozen into icicles, sharp like a dagger. So cold, Hyunjin shudders. Hyunjin is trying to escape something, he knows. But what is he escaping? Maybe these two days, or is it three, have been a cruel cold dream. Northern wind please wakes him up, to warm cotton field, to jam and bread, to Kkami. It is so cold. He should head back. Maybe a little bit further. He leans on the bark of trees, watching the snowflakes drift in the icy moonlight. A harsh realisation dawns on him, ‘I don’t mind,’ he breaths it into the northern wind, ‘if I sleep, for a few more hours, I will wake up to Kkami, to jam and bread, to a ever-expanding warm cotton field.’ Hyunjin slides down, hugging himself, closing his eyes, ‘to beautiful fireworks, to intricate dolls, to cows that nudge me into the gutter.’ Hyunjin continues the list, while the cold bites into him. If Hyunjin really tries, he can hearing the door banging and a frantic Jisung breaking all the twigs on the ground. Only when Jisung’s warm hands cup Hyunjin’s face does Hyunjin realises, something. Something he doesn’t know. Something he desperately tries to hate. Something he absolutely craves. 

‘Let’s go back,’ Jisung says. ‘Let’s go.’

‘Why?’ Hyunjin has the audacity to ask, ‘Why?’

‘Because I prepared hot chocolat,’ Jisung answers. 

Hyunjin laughs as he trudges behind Jisung back into the cave. 

‘Your lips are purple, so are your fingers,’ Jisung notes offhandly as he pours out the thick chocolate. 

‘They have always been.’

‘Are we being so rude that you run away?’

‘No. It is not your problem.’

Jisung sits wordlessly. 

‘Go to sleep,’ Hyunjin nudges Jisung. 

‘What if you run away again?’

‘It is not your problem.’

‘I don’t want to find your corpse next morning.’

‘You won’t.’

‘No, I am staying with you until the others wake up.’

‘If I want to run away, eight pairs of eyes can’t reign me in.’

‘When no eyes are watching, only the moon idly slides by, what is stopping you?’

Hyunjin doesn’t reply. Jisung extends his arms, ‘I am sleepy, give me cuddles.’ Hyunjin holds him wordlessly. Jisung falls asleep surprisingly fast, soft snores bubble from his throat. Hyunjin carries him back to his room and quietly tucks him in. Hyunjin has to accept the fact that these eight boys are his family now. Flopping onto his bed, Hyunjin sleeps too. The next morning, an artificial bird starts to angrily chirp and Hyunjin jumps in the wake. 

‘Seungmin!’ Chan storms out. ‘Your mechanical bird is broken again!’

Seungmin walks out and hollers for Minho, ‘can you cut the electricity?’

‘What is electricity?’ Hyunjin asks. 

Jeongin runs happily to a jar where the beautiful blue lightning is stored, ‘This is electricity. The same thing when your hair sticks to your clothes.’ Jeongin takes off his sweater and small sparks go off clicking. ‘Spark Sorcerers!’ 

Hyunjin nods his head, surprisingly comfortable with this concept. 

‘If you are not fixing it, I am so not gonna let you sleep,’ Jisung says. 

‘We need better models. This one is faulty. Damn the stupid fox who broke the one we brought on the market.’

‘This looks like something my family brought when I was younger. Moving dolls who sing,’ Hyunjin turns the bird over, struggling to examine the gears in the candle light. 

‘Dolls?’ Jeongin jumps, his eyes glinting, his smile stretching wide. ‘I heard dolls are soft, but this bird is metallic?’

Hyunjin looks up, ‘I can make you one, metallic or soft.’

‘Pinky promise?’ Jeongin holds out his pinky and Hyunjin links it. ‘Promise!’

‘I thought you are the herb boy,’ Felix says.

‘Dolls are fascinating too.’

‘Do you want books on potions and herbs?’ Woojin asks. 

‘I can try but I am afraid that I won’t be able to understand them.’

‘We have three potion enthusiasts in this household,’ Chan plops down on the chair. ‘Even if you think you know little, there is already half of a library in your head.’

‘Then what do others like?’ Hyunjin asks. ‘Well, no offence, I mean like,’

‘Three spell casters, one mechanics, one sigil painter and a person who buries his nose under the covers.’ 

‘Namely, Chan hyung,’ Minho yawns.

‘Feel free to talk with all of us and see which one you like. Don’t be too rushed to decide, take your sweet time,’ Chan advises. 

‘Please fix the bird first,’ Seungmin pleads. ‘I still have so much to fix, my brain will burn out soon.’

‘I will try,’ Hyunjin says to which Seungmin breathes a sigh of relief, ‘it may be forever broken.’ Seungmin grimaces yet nods his head and hurries down the corridor. After rattling bells and knocking off bookshelves somewhere in the back, Seungmin reappears with a tool kit, ‘these should be enough?’

Hyunjin peers into the box and thanks Seungmin. 

‘The experiment room is here!’ Seungmin clasps his hand. ‘We have a furnace!’

‘At this stage, Iris has given up on us,’ Chan rubs his forehead.

‘We have doing well, man!’ Jisung gives him a thumb up.

Hyunjin complains something about not having windows, to which Chan responds, ‘You want windows?’

‘I, uh, never mind. Nothing major.’

‘I have been waiting someone to bring that up for ages,’ a spell flies to the wall and the window blows open up. ‘We will lose our eyesights if we continue like this.’ 

‘Old grandpa worrying about eye sights,’ Jeongin laughs as he practices spells. ‘How ironic.’

‘Do I have to remind you who is the maknae?’ 

Hyunjin closes the door softly behind him, the window lets sunlight stream into every crack of the room. It is empty, Hyunjin thinks as he opens the drawer. What is this? He walks over and trips over. There is nothing on the ground. Puzzled Hyunjin calls Chan, ‘Did you redecorate this room?’

‘Redecorate?’ 

‘He means did you conceal anything, stupid,’ Jeongin casually says as his spell knocks a book over. ‘What?’ After some intense studying, he creates a bulb of light. 

‘Nice job!’ Chan compliments. ‘Hyunjin, do you want to learn the unconcealed spell?’

‘I bet that would be useful.’

‘You can cast the spell either by thinking or speaking, the phrase is Leesealy. Pretty straight forward if you ask me.’

‘Got it, thank you.’

Hyunjin once again closes the door, he looks at the floor and tries, ‘Leesealy.’

The room in indeed a mess. Paintbrushes laying amidst maps, several pliers and trumpets pile up, and questionable stains on the walls. Hyunjin dances to the chair, trying not to trip and die and places the bird on the table. He pulls out a paper under the wood and a pencil on the floor and start to draw the construction plan for this bird. Someone knocks on the door and Jeongin peers his head out, ‘Thought you may need this.’ 

A small blue bottle that looks suspiciously like the lightning bottle. 

‘Does it store electricity?’ Hyunjin is still surprised at how comfortable he is with the concept. 

‘Yes!’ Jeongin says. ‘It can create magnetism.’

‘What is maneit?’ 

‘Oh um,’ Jeongin fiddles in his pocket while Hyunjin welcomes Jeongin in. Jeongin takes out a grey solid, that looks like black silver. And the metal bird sticks to it. 

‘What?’ Hyunjin asks in awe, his hand hesitating to touch the grey solid. 

As Jeongin explains, fumbling with words and images, he sinks into Hyunjin’s embrace. Sitting on Hyunjin’s lap while Hyunjin hugs him from behind. When Jeongin runs out of topics, he asks in a small voice, ‘can you hold me a little longer?’

‘Why not?’ The air stills as Hyunjin asks, ‘What do you want your doll to be?’

‘I want a fox! White-furred fox!’ 

‘A metallic or a soft one?’ Hyunjin jokes. 

‘A soft one?’

‘Do we have threads and needles here?’

‘Needles,’ Jeongin slumps. ‘Are objects of dread. Yet we have plenty of them.’

The air moves around them, warm currents that whistle. 

‘Hyung,’ Jeongin starts. ‘Can the forest stay forever like this?’

‘No?’ 

‘That’s sad.’

‘But I can store it in words?’ 

‘Jisung is so going to love this, wait, let me write this down.’ 

‘The clouds are entangled in the twigs while the wind tries to free them. A bird rests on the twig, when it flies away, it brings the clouds with it as well. Barren trees are the children of winter. Crisp branches that break under the weight of the sky. A world in black and white with filters of canary. The snow is thick, blanketing the fallen and the decay. A pure facade that masks you and I.’

Hyunjin stops as the soft murmur of the pencil stops. Jeongin pouts, ‘Why is this so sad?’ Hyunjin hums and presses his head on Jeongin. ‘I don’t know.’ Before continuing, 

‘Somewhere far away, there are cotton fields that grow along the river. Cotton fields that hides summer. When the cotton is stuffed into your blanket or your dolls, you are keeping summer in as well.’ 

‘That is still sad.’

‘Why? It is about summer, and summer is full of joy.’

‘Winter and summer are the same. They are not inherently happy.’

‘Not happy is not sad either.’

‘Maybe Jisung will explain it better,’ Jeongin shifts. ‘I need to practice before Chan bites my butt.’

‘Off you go,’

Jeongin closes the door softly and Hyunjin shuts his heart and puts his mind into the bird. Broken twinges and missing screw, half a component that is stuck between the metal folds. The edges slices Hyunjin’s delicate fingers open, but he doesn’t mind. The blood sticks to the metal, dark red under a moron backdrop. Hyunjin is afraid, afraid if he slows down, the tears will spill. Soon, he builds a model that rings like an idiot. It is easy, but Hyunjin doesn’t like it. 

Chan happily opens the door, ‘Is the alarm done?’

‘It will definitely wake you up and make you deaf,’ Hyunjin laughs. 

‘Well, Seungmin’s one sings, look at where is it now?’

‘I can make another one, this can be the substitute.’

‘Fair enough,’ with this, Chan softly closes the door. 

Hyunjin looks at the coils and the tube of magnets around it. When connected to the lightning bottle, it starts to rotate. Hyunjin frowns upon the irregular rotations. He tries a few subtle changes, fails. He eventually redesigned the model, which he names the instigator. Connecting it to the delicate gears, the music box starts to play. Chan pops into the room, ‘It is lunch time, come eat!’

Hyunjin doesn’t answer as the music continues to play. Chan skips into the room, ‘is it fixed?’

‘Is it the alarm you are looking for?’

‘So I can redesign the cylinder?’ 

‘The cylinder?’ Hyunjin points to the bumps on the roller that plucks the comb. ‘I mean sure.’

Chan rubs his hands like a kid, ‘I am so sick of this melody that haunts my mornings.’ Pulling the sleeve of Hyunjin, they escape the suffocating chamber. 

‘Minho-hyung cooked sour and sweet ribs,’ Felix calls.

‘The alarm is fixed!’ Chan announces.

‘Can I take a look?’ Seungmin and Jeongin say at the same time.

‘After finishing lunch,’ Woojin pushes the two back into the chairs. 

‘Guess we have a genius here!’ Changbin coos.

‘I am the one and only genius here,’ Minho scrunches his brows.

The food warms Hyunjin, the chatters block Hyunjin from the impending doom. Woojin breaks the bread and passes it around the table. It is dry and rough, Hyunjin eats it nevertheless, washes it down with water. They are relocating duties for tomorrow, Chan offers to go hunting with Hyunjin. Hyunjin’s stomach flips and offers to collect herbs instead. ‘We can do both at the same time, I can teach you the skills and you can teach me to differentiate plants.’

‘I thought the three potion enthusiasts have taught you much.’

‘Don’t expose Chan hyung like that,’ Changbin laughs. 

‘We can explore the mountains nearby too,’ Chan proposes. 

Who is Hyunjin to turn down the offer? He nods while shoving the rough bread down his throat. Seungmin leaves to install the alarm with the new cylinder. Woojin and Hyunjin leave to discuss plants. Minho and Jisung clean the house. Jeongin is determined to nail the spells. Chan falls head first into his bed, drifting to a comfortable sleep. Felix and Changbin walks into the forest hand in hand. 

Woojin pulls a heavy plant reference guide off the dusty shelf. Hyunjin flips through the pages and surprising Woojin by how much he already knows. 

‘I guess we can move on to the fun part!’ Woojin exclaims, robbing Hyunjin the opportunity to be confused, he throws open the entrance to an eerie blue dungeon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic has the longest chapters I ever posted... ehhh... Fair enough


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is 3.6k per chap too long? Tell me. And the update is kinda slow cuz I am not used to writing long chaps and I am taking forever to edit them. Ha. Sorry. Hope you enjoy it!

Sweet air wafts to Hyunjin and envelops him in a numbing silence. The blue alluring, a world within itself, a wide blue sky that advances towards him. Sweet like jasmine, it is cold on his skin, crawling on Hyunjin’s spine. Hyunjin tries to focus, the blue labels flashing. Yet he can only focus on the sweet taste that lingers on his lips. 

‘Stay with me,’ Woojin touches Hyunjin’s hand, bringing Hyunjin back down. ‘This is Alonson’s Yarrow.’ Pointing to a white flower on the shelf. ‘It is the main ingredient in making Mimi Marrow, which is a potion that puts you to sleep and stops bleeding. With great power comes great side effects, namely nausea, temporary memory loss and drowsiness.’

Hyunjin runs his fingers along the cold glasses and chuckles. ‘That is cool. Can I try a hand on making potion?’

Woojin furrows his brows before realising, ‘Right, I haven’t told you yet. Potions can be divided into three major types and, of course, a bunch of sub types. We have medicinals, like Mimi Marrow; and psychs, like the infamous love potion; also transformer, like Angel’s Red, which can give you a pair of wings.’

Hyunjin muses, ‘I have been a witch in training without realising it!’

Woojin gives Hyunjin a thumb up, ‘Let me take a wild guess, psyching it up?’

‘Sounds fun!’

Woojin proposes to clean the herbs, to which Hyunjin agrees with a blinding smile. They wash the soil off and pick off rotten leaves. Earthy fragrance fills Hyunjin with a familiar hum and marks his shirt with blotches of brown. Hyunjin wipes his sweat away but smudges dirts instead, Woojin laughs and hands him a towel. Woojin talks about the benevolence of each herbs while Hyunjin nods along. They both have no idea what is happening on the outside, so time slips through their finger like the dirty water. 

‘Do you have a favourite potion?’ Hyunjin asks out of the blue as they dry the plants. 

Woojin’s eyes light up, ‘I love a lot of potions, be it their stunning colours, or their powerful effects.’

‘Tell me about it.’

‘See,’ Woojin washes his hands and takes a colourless bottle, ‘this is Trusmouso, looks harmless. If used in small doses, it can cure any illness. If you dunk the whole bottle, you turn blue and perish.’

‘Sounds fun,’

‘This is another one with charming colours,’ Woojin holds another bottle. Gold glitters swirl, like stars in the universe; colours pastel that resemble sakura. ‘It induces happiness and brings good dreams.’

‘How charming. Can we make this today?’

Woojin nods, putting the cold bottle back on the shelf. ‘We will be needing.’ He points to the dried plants on the strings, ‘this, this and that. And some more.’ 

They then spend the afternoon with preparation of herbs and the bubbling of the mixing pot. Hyunjin pours the viscous liquid into a bottle and chants, ‘double double toil and trouble.’ Woojin continues, ‘fire burn and cauldron bubble!’ Something rings in Hyunjin, the brown plants, the way they chant, the way the pot rumbles; centuries ago, primitive humans peeled open the mystery of nature with their bare bleeding hands; are they doing the same now? 

Sometime in this witchy bubble someone screams, Hyunjin shoots up, Woojin tells him to chill and sit down, saying, ‘they probably see a dead mice in the lamp box.’ Hyunjin cracks the door ajar and sees a beaming Jisung hugging Minho. Hyunjin smiles and closes the door and returns to the cave, ‘double double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble.’

What is Jisung smiling at then? An owl tilts his head and chirps, off his mouth drops a letter. Jisung pats the owl and gives him a dried strap of meat. Then the owl breaks the window glass and flies off into the wide blue. The seal gleams gold, still soft to touch, the seal of Iris. Chan comes out of his bedroom without a sound. He snatches the letter and breaks the seal. Cursing about the throbbing headache, the paper slacks in Chan’s hand, noble cursive swims in his vision, 

‘To the Stray Coven, 

Warm welcomes to your new member, all hail this ever expanding family. He is a solar if you do not already know. Vast knowledge in medicinal potions, great potential in spells, introduce him to sigils, I bet he is a handy mechanics too. He is shy and scared, take care of him. Make sure he eats, this boy has a habit of not eating when under stress. He may not tell you what has happened to him, I am in no place of retelling the tale. It is probably hard for him to swallow, let along process, go easy on him. Once again, don’t be quick to judge. I believe in you guys to take care of him. Tell Jisung, I am sending him a new collection of sigil illustration. I can’t take time to visit you, there are too many things going on in the court. Visit the post office on the other side of the forest, will you, don’t shut yourselves to the world. The newspaper will redeliver. If you burn the papers like coal again, I will burn you. Write to me if you need help. 

Much love,  
Iris’

Jisung claps his hands as another white owl flies through the door. The owl drops a stack of books on the table. ‘Misty, how’s the journey?’ Jisung asks. Misty bites Jisung’s finger as a response. Chan scribbles a quick note and pats Misty, ‘Tell Iris my thanks.’ Misty flies off, taking a strap of meat off the table. Jisung nimbly wraps a bandage onto his hand. 

‘Boys, it is time to reconnect with the outside world,’ Chan announces. No one responses, all busy exploring the newly arrived book. They crowd around Jisung as Jisung flips through the flimsy paper. Some illustrations have already faded, words barely made out; some are freshly redrawn, those usually have new footnotes, clearly of great importance. Jisung exclaims half way through the book, pointing towards an intricate cage illustration. The boys study closely, straining their eyes to read the tiny wiggly words. Jisung hugs Minho so Minho spins him around as a celebration. When Jisung recollects himself, he is still breathless and giggly, his trembling fingers draw circles and lines, trying to explain the wonder of the sigil. Seungmin rolls his eyes, ‘can you stop already?’

‘No, never in a million years,’ Jisung says. Rebelling, Jisung does calm down. He closes the book, carrying the book into his bedroom. When Jisung returns, Chan is frowning and tracing the patterns of the wood, watching the ants carrying the crumbs. 

‘Chan hyung, what’s wrong,’ mirroring Chan’s expression, Jisung frowns and spaces out. 

‘I’m okay,’ Chan smiles, which Jisung returns. ‘Now, where is Felix and Changbin?’

‘Those two lovebirds are flying in the trees,’ Seungmin replies, toying with the wires and pricking his fingers. Chan draws a circle on the table, something’s changing. Everything offers a connection as weak as a silk thread and Chan is like a spider, holding on to each fibre. And he weaves a web and sits in the middle, shaking every slight vibration. Are the seasons changing? The air is arguably any warmer. Is it the tone of the letter? Chan glances towards the golden seal. Has she always been like this? Humming to the winter wind, Chan figures he wants a slice of cake. Does Hyunjin want anything? This kid never speaks. 

‘So, about Hyunjin,’ Jeongin says as he curls up in the chair. ‘What should we do?’

‘Be yourself!’ Jisung is dancing with Minho as he sings. ‘All he needs right now is a safe and secure place to fit the pieces together. Don’t step on my foot!’

‘Sorry!’

Jeongin fishes out a paper out of his pocket, ‘I am a bit scared of him. He seems so sad.’

‘What did he write this time,’ Chan rubs his forehead, sitting down beside Jeongin, holding a jug of water. 

‘He didn’t write it. I did. He tried to frame the moment in words for me, so I jotted it down.’

Childishly big words blink at Chan and Jisung, while Seungmin blinks back, calling it artsy engravings on others headstones. 

‘The clouds are entangled in the twigs while the wind tries to free them. A bird rests on the twig, when it flies away, it brings the clouds with it as well. Barren trees are the children of winter. Crisp branches that break under the weight of the sky. A world in black and white with filters of canary. The snow is thick, blanketing the fallen and the decay. A pure facade that masks you and I. 

Somewhere far away, there are cotton fields that grow along the river. Cotton fields that hides summer. When the cotton is stuffed into your blanket or your dolls, you are keeping summer in as well.’

Chan comforts Jeongin, who is hiding himself in his hands. Jisung shakes his head and laughs. 

‘What are you stressing about? Scenery can be interpreted in both ways, it is not sad nor happy, just a bleak scenery he sees at that point. If he is sad, he will tell us, if he is happy, he will tell us. Why forcing your own mind into these small spaces that words hold?’ Jisung waltzes towards the table. Before Jisung can finish the sentence, Jeongin crashes into Jisung for a hug. Chan chokes on water as Jeongin shoves Chan aside. Minho, Seungmin exchange a glance with a smile.

‘Now, where exactly are the lovebirds?’ Chan coughs. 

They are running in mother earth’s embrace. Snow in their hair, their faces flush pink, from the intense winter cold and their intense love for each other. When they slow down, Changbin hugs Felix close to his body and Felix giggles, ‘Where are we going now?’ 

‘We are going to a beautiful place.’

‘As beautiful as me?’ Felix leans in and his words fly by Changbin’s lips.

‘As beautiful as you,’ Changbin whispers into Felix’s mouth, capturing Felix’s lips. Felix smiles against the kiss, muttering words that Changbin licks off. Felix’s hands roam on Changbin’s smooth skin. 

‘Hey, hey,’ Changbin breaks the kiss and Felix pouts. ‘Do you still want to unwrap my surprise?’

‘Surprise me, then.’

Changbin carries a caught-off-guard Felix on his back and runs through the forest. 

‘Put me down, you fool,’ Felix laughs as he jumps off, the snow falling with him. 

Changbin says, ‘Close your eyes then, starry-eyed. It is a surprise!’

Leading Felix through monotonous shades, Changbin bubbles with excitement. Felix, being a teleport, travels to countless places with a snap of his finger. Felix has seen wonders one can only read from books and discovers forgotten heavens with his careless routes. Changbin wants the place to be a surprise, he squeezes Felix’s hand as Changbin slows, Felix bumps into Changbin. 

‘Now, open your eyes!’ 

A waterfall pours from the sky and like horses, they gallop towards the ocean. A rainbow floats upon the light mist formed above the waterfall. The waterfall splashes across the dead forest. And violently, forces Felix’s senses to wake up, to open his eyes. The water thunders against the rock, threatening to break the stone into halves. Mosses thrive next to the ice blocks. And Felix melts in Changbin’s hold. They stay until the sun set. Felix has seen countless waterfalls that are more majestic. Yet being in this forest, where he calls home, for five years, he has never crossed path with this waterfall. 

‘How did you find it?’

‘Love has a way! Can you feel my love in the waters?’ Felix subconsciously lowers his hand and the water splashes onto his cheek.

‘Give me an answer!’ Felix pouts. 

‘When I went hunting last time, a bear chased me down right when my knife was stuck in the dead deer. I ran but the bear was close at my heels. I rolled down a hill, the bear stared at me incredulously, like I was the biggest fool ever. And eventually with a howl, he retreated. Wandering around, I heard a song somewhere, like those murmurs of rain hitting against my skull. I followed and saw this waterfall.’

Felix whispers a prayer, thanking the water saving Changbin, ‘Please don’t ever leave him, stay with us.’ 

They hold each other’s hand when they go home. The snow on the road back is red, like the sky, everything is like the sky, even Changbin’s cheeks are in the colour of the sky. Tears overwhelm Felix and Felix halts abruptly. 

‘Changbin, promise me you will always find a way home,’ Felix buries himself in Changbin’s scarf. ‘Promise me.’

‘I promise, why are you suddenly saying this?’

‘The water told me that you almost died,’ Felix admits. ‘And I am scared. What if.’

Changbin shuts Felix up with a haste kiss. 

Felix breathes into Changbin’s mouth, ‘please don’t disappear.’

Changbin doesn’t answer, only deepening the kiss. When Felix’s tears stop, Changbin says, ‘I might disappear in the future, who knows? You should ask the stars one day.’ Felix kicks him. Changbin continues, ‘at least I am here now! The water tells me I will still stick around.’

Felix kisses Changbin, sweet and slow, and it seals the promise. They savour this sunset as they savour each other. When they return home, it is dark already. Dinner is ready and piping hot. They hang their coats and sit down around the circle. 

‘Where were you two at?’ Minho asks, handing out bowls. 

‘We went exploring,’ Changbin replies casually. 

‘Exploring who?’ Chan smirks and a book falls right on his head. ‘Ow, what was that for.’

‘Nothing,’ Felix shrugs. 

The shirt on Felix slips and Hyunjin saw red patches down his neck and dotting his collarbone. They look like red caterpillars crawling so Hyunjin asks, ‘Do the bruises hurt? Do you want cream?’ 

The table falls silent and Hyunjin dodges the stares as he tears the bread into dusts. 

‘They don’t hurt,’ Felix smiles. ‘Thanks anyway.’

‘Great,’ Seungmin clips his tongue. ‘We have a snowflake under our damn roof.’

‘I am sorry,’ Hyunjin adds as he chews on the bread. 

‘What are you sorry for?’ Seungmin grunts. ‘Being a snowflake is good, unlike someone who has his mind in the gutter.’ 

The table chuckles as Chan digs through the stew; Jeongin laughs until tears stream; Hyunjin smiles, which doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He is busy tiding up the dangled fishing net, which is called his mind, as they prepare for the night. Felix gives his room to Hyunjin as Felix moves into Changbin’s. Hyunjin strips the bedsheets and replaces the blankets; yet keeps the pillow untouched. Hyunjin throws the dirty fabric in his own bucket, instead of the one in the kitchen. When Hyunjin shuts his door, he picks up the spell dictionary and casts a spell to mute all the noises from the outside. Hyunjin sinks into the cocoon of fabric as his thoughts suffocate him. The wheel of change grinds him, yet he is telling himself that he is fine, finer than the china plates. 

‘Time passes,’ Hyunjin says. ‘And everything will be better! Time heals everything. Time is all I need. What has happened? Nothing. Nothing has happened. It is in the past. I have to let go. Let go. Let go.’ His throat cuts his airflow as his chest collapses, Hyunjin waits for tears to flow so he can breath. Nothing is coming out. And the raw silence covers his mouth like a wet cloth. 

‘Sleep,’ Hyunjin whispers, grateful for whatever sounds there are. ‘Sleep. When the sun rises again, I will be happy.’ 

In his hand swirl the golden glitters, what is it called? Woojin forgot to tell Hyunjin, so Hyunjin made a name, ‘How about Rest in Peace?’

The glitters jump and shake as he blows off the candle. Hyunjin opens the lid and drops a drop on his tongue, closes the lid and drifts off to a peaceful dream. 

He dreams of cotton fields and Kkami. He dreams of yellow sun rise and red sunset. He dreams of licking strawberry jam off his fingers. He dreams of his family having dinner together. He dreams of pale face that turns rosy as the smile spread. He dreams of touching a flame, soft and wispy as the flame wraps around his hand. The flame turns brighter but it doesn’t hurt. Hyunjin watches the hay next to him catching fire, his clothes catching fire. But it doesn’t hurt. It is peaceful and cute, like the pictures in a children’s storybook. Soon, it is Hyunjin who is burning. The fire cannot be put out. His palm covers the fire, when he takes his hand off, it is burning again. Something sticky runs down his forehead, in the red glow the fire casts, the liquid looks dark. It is peaceful and quiet. It keeps burning and burning. And Hyunjin screams. ‘Wake up, ’ Somewhere in the back, a shrill voice says. Hyunjin tries to lift his arms to block the voice, to no avail. His legs are glued to the ground. The voice keeps echoing, ‘wake up, wake up.’

When cold hands rest on his face, the fire vanishes. Hyunjin sees two blue eyes. ‘You’re awake!’ Jisung grins as his eyes turn back to brown. ‘Do you mind if the others come in as well?’

‘Why?’

‘Do you want me to go?’

‘Why?’

Hyunjin wipes off the sweat as his breathing evens out, ‘Why are you here?’

‘You were having a nightmare and woke the whole house up.’

‘What? How?’

‘The stone burnt my skin off!’ Seungmin complains as he walks right through the door, rubbing his sleepy eyes. ‘Felix, don’t you dare to ignore me! If you are fake sleeping, I am telling the stars! Wait, Hyunjin? This is Felix’s room? Oh, right! Shoot, sorry, imma head out now.’

‘You can stay? Are you looking for me?’ Hyunjin asks. 

‘The whole house is looking for you, in all honesty.’ 

Hyunjin returns his gaze to the blanket, a soft sigh escaping his pretty mouth, ‘You can go back to your peaceful sleep now.’ Hyunjin takes off the necklace and stuffs it under the pillow. Seungmin opens the door and this time, Chan stumbles in, who Jeongin is trying to steady. The crowd gathers around Hyunjin, with big eyes, they prod for an answer. 

‘Hyung,’ Jeongin speaks. ‘Were you crying.’ His soft thumb runs over the beauty mark under his eye. 

Chan rests his head on Minho, closing his eyes to smooth out a headache. Jisung massages Chan’s temples, his brown eyes flashing blue. Felix wraps his hand around Hyunjin’s, Changbin close behind Felix. Woojin rushes in with a potion, ‘when you sleep again, you can try this. Dress of Sakura is not as strong. This is Turate.’

Hyunjin takes the transparent liquid and says, ‘Thank you. Go to sleep, it is late.’

‘When are you going to sleep then?’ Jisung quips. 

‘I am sorry for waking you up.’

‘Chan hyung wasn’t even sleeping in the first place,’ Minho whispers against a snoring Chan. ‘He was pacing outside.’

‘Jisung, what did you do?’ Jeongin gasps. ‘Chan hyung never sleeps.’

‘I put him to sleep.’

‘Just like how you pull Hyunjin out of his nightmare,’ Seungmin supplies. ‘How did you manage to get in, though?’

‘I broke the spell and here I am!’ Jisung says. 

‘Nice move,’ Minho smiles. 

‘Do you want us to sleep with you?’ Jeongin asks Hyunjin in a small voice. ‘In case you have a nightmare again.’

‘I will be fine,’ Hyunjin combs through Jeongin’s messy hair. ‘I trust Woojin’s whatever potion.’

‘It is called Turate,’ Woojin says as he carries Chan back into the bedroom. Minho stretches his neck and curses.

‘Go to sleep,’ Hyunjin tells a yawning Jeongin, who shakes his head and rests on Hyunjin’s broad shoulders. Seungmin leaves like a shadow. Jisung hums a lullaby and Felix harmonises with his deep voice, while Changbin drums to the beat. Hyunjin listens as Jeongin dozes off, who is then carried back by Changbin. The last leaf in winter falls and Felix goes into Changbin’s embrace for a good night’s sleep. Jisung stays, looking at Hyunjin, who is wide awake and face pale. 

‘Do you want me to put you to sleep?’ Jisung asks, his hands pressing gently against Hyunjin’s temple. 

‘Can I,’ Hyunjin trials off and picks up again. ‘Can I cuddle with you?’

Jisung climbs into the small bed and pulls a tittering Hyunjin under the covers. Jisung is warm and soft, like the warm sun in the warm blanket. Jisung’s eyes shine in the dark, brown orbs that remind Hyunjin of summer night’s forest. 

‘You smell like coconut?’ Jisung plays with Hyunjin’s soft curls. ‘Which is weird because Felix smells like coconut too.’

‘You smell like sunshine,’ Hyunjin laughs, the sound lonely in the empty room. 

Until another joins, ‘come closer, I want to smell your hair!’

‘You’re a weirdo,’ Hyunjin comments yet still scooting closer. 

‘You sadly,’ Jisung purses his lips, looking thoughtful for a second before breaking into a smile. ‘Smell like nothing!’

Hyunjin fake gasps, ‘that’s real bad news!’

‘How bad is that?’ Jisung laughs. ‘The universe smells like nothing too!’

‘Whatever you say,’ Hyunjin rolls his eyes, sleep finally knocking. ‘Fragrant night?’

‘Fragrant night!’

When Hyunjin is wandering at the gates of dreams, he fancies seeing the blue ocean rippling beneath his nose, someone in his dream giggles, ‘you actually smell like maple leaf.’


	4. Author Note

I am kind of unmotivated to finish this... I am frustrated at the character portrayals... deep sigh. So I am orphaning it, feel free take it into your hands. Much love. I am sorry


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